


Overloaded

by VisionaryGalaxy



Series: The Symphony of Our Catastrophe [7]
Category: X-Men (Movieverse)
Genre: Cerebro, Charles Xavier has a Ph.D in Adorable, Don't copy to another site, Fluff, Hurt Charles, M/M, Pining, Pre-Slash, Protective Erik Lehnsherr
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-20
Updated: 2019-06-20
Packaged: 2020-05-15 02:14:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,129
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19286032
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VisionaryGalaxy/pseuds/VisionaryGalaxy
Summary: Erik knows Charles isn't alright after Cerebro.





	Overloaded

   This was a bad idea; Erik knew it was.

   Yet, he found himself walking down the uniform hallways of the CIA headquarters, drawn inevitably toward a very familiar doorway. It was plain and brown, insignificant except for the person who way laying just beyond.

   Erik paused outside of it, wondering for the hundredth time what he was doing.

   Inside he could sense the metal of the small accompanied one-piece bathroom they all had; the pipes nestled comfortably in their walls. Other then that Erik sensed only strewn belt buckles, a watch warmed by its contact to skin, and a variety of pens and change scattered around.

   It told him none of things he wanted to know.

   Yesterday, Charles had used Cerebro for the first time.

   Seeing the man settle the helmet onto his head, wires and lights springing from its gleaming surface, had been more then enough to inspire less then pleasant memories for Erik. Painful and afraid as he too was treated like a lab rat.

   He knew the comparison had been poor, as Charles had pointed out to him. Still, it didn’t change the fact that standing there and watching the way those bright blue eyes had lit up with excitement had sent a stab of unfamiliar fear through his gut. It wasn’t the kind he was used to, the sensible one that told him where the edge was. No, it had been a foreign fear directing all its intensity at Charles Xavier of all people.

   Erik wasn’t used to being afraid for other people.

   In theory Charles was fine.

   The man had said so in that soft oxford accent, eyes warm as they reassured him and Raven, before quickly turning to confer with Hank. Charles had also acted fine for the most part, going about his day and rambling in that optimistic way of his about what it could mean for the future of mutant kind.

   Except.

   Except Erik was well versed in reading people. He knew when someone was lying, when they were trying to hide something, when they were simply trying to be something they weren’t. Erik had observed out of what he considered to be well founded paranoia.

   He’d quickly come to the conclusion that Charles was not alright.

   Which was why he was here, standing outside this door, trying to work up the nerve to knock.

   The thing was, Erik knew this was strange behaviour for him. It was unsettling to be so invested in the well-being of someone else. Part of him wanted to pretend it was simply because Charles had saved his life and for the first time in a long time, there had been someone who cared whether he lived or died.

   More likely, however, it had something to do with the way his chest would tighten when a wide smile was directed at him, or the way his stomach fluttered at confident, gleaming blue eyes. His heart was fucking traitorous.

   The smart thing would be to walk away. Charles obviously wasn’t dying and perhaps it had nothing to do with Cerebro but for some reason his feet would not cooperate.

   A solid minute had passed while Erik stewed in his indecision when quite suddenly, he felt the metal of the watch moving swiftly toward the door. It swung open to reveal Charles, dressed casually for once in sweatpants and a white t-shirt looking up at him with a half-amused smile.

   Overshadowing that gesture, however, was the wince and paleness of his complexion.

   “Hello, my friend,” Charles greeted him. “Sorry, but I could feel you out here. Did you need something?”

   Erik needed a lot of things. Though at the moment he’d settle for Charles no longer being in pain as the white knuckled grip on the door revealed.

   “I wanted to talk, if you had a moment.”

   Not exactly what he wanted to say but it would do to get him inside the room.

   Part of Erik expected Charles to turn him away though he should really know better by now. Charles stepped back, swinging the door wide and disappearing into the room. Erik didn’t hesitate to follow, using his powers to close and lock the door.

   The room was familiar, having joined Charles more then once for a game of chess, though it seemed untidier than usual.

   “What can I do for you?” Charles inquired, sitting heavily on the edge of his bed.

   “You’re in pain, because of Cerebro,” Erik was known for being blunt.

  Charles blinked at him surprised. Erik kind of wanted to bristle at that, he was capable of being sympathetic, of caring if someone was hurt, even if he usually chose not to.

   “I-” Erik glared, already expecting the lie and Charles huffed. “I just have a headache, that’s all.”

   “A headache,” Erik repeated wearily, wondering if there was a way to check for brain damage.

   “Yes. I got rather…overloaded yesterday. Perfectly fine though, Hank and I have already worked out the kinks.”

   Erik frowned. He’d rather they just never used the machine again but that wasn’t plausible. They needed Cerebro and Charles if they were going to find mutants to take on Shaw, which was the first priority always. It didn’t change the way Erik’s stomach twisted sickly at the prospect.

   “Thank you for the concern,” Charles continued, eyes painfully sincere. “But I really am alright.”

   Now Erik just felt awkward. He didn’t like awkward and he didn’t like the pinched expression still clinging to Charles’s face.

   “Right. Can I do anything for you?”

   There was that surprised blinking again. Though this time it quickly grew into a delightful grin that made Erik a little weak in the knees. Charles was already perking up as he quickly stood and made his way across the room, pulling out the chess set from where it had been stored since the last game.

   “I’d like to trouble you with a game, if you wouldn’t mind.”

   It took a frankly ridiculous amount of self-control not to jump on the offer, “I’d love to, but shouldn’t you be resting?”

   Charles waved it away, already opening the case on the small coffee table and arranging pieces, “trust me my friend, the last thing I need right now is more sleep.”

   Erik sort of doubted that, but he was quickly coming to the realization that he was helpless to resist any of Charles’s whims. He strode over to settle in the small wooden chair across from Charles, who already seemed to have some colour coming back to his cheeks.

   Erik could see how this might become a problem in the future, this lack of self-control. For now, though, he was quite content to pretend all was well and bask in the beauty that was a happy Charles Xavier.


End file.
